An on-line petition to Queensland Parliament calling for an independent inquiry into plans for residential development next to Toondah Harbour reached more than 5,000 signatures this week.
Many more people are expected to sign the call for a Toondah inquiry before this petition closes in five weeks time.
Petition 3271-20 Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area: Commission of Inquiry was initiated by community group Redlands2030 and the principal petitioner is Redlands2030 President Steve MacDonald.
The petition can be accessed on the Queensland Parliament website.
Redlands biggest E-Petition to State Parliament
This petition has already attracted more support than any other E-Petition about a Redlands related issue since E-Petitions were introduced by Queensland Parliament in 2002.
The top three Redlands E-Petitions during this time have been:
- Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area: Commission of Inquiry 5,116 signatures so far, closes 30 July 2020
- Koala extinction in South East Queensland 4,528 signatures in 2009
- Multi-purpose hall for Cleveland District State High School 2,383 signatures in 2010
Since 2002 about 80 E-Petitions have been initiated on issues relating to Redlands such as the need for infrastructure (Eastern Busway, Leslie Harrison Dam gates and a bridge to Russell Island).
Only 10 Redlands related E-Petitions have got more than 1,000 signatures. The average number of signatories for a Redlands related E-Petition is 448.
Traditional paper petitions can also be submitted to the Queensland Parliament. The paper petition about a Redlands issue to get most support over the past 18 years was a call in 2010 for “Palliative care facility to service the Redlands area” which got 3,174 signatures.
The Toondah inquiry E-Petition is already in the top five percent of more than 1,362 E-Petitions to Queensland Parliament, as measured by the number of signatories.
Redlands2030 President Steve MacDonald says that the exceptionally strong support for this petition is a clear indication that the community has serious misgivings about this project.
“An independent inquiry is an excellent opportunity for the State Government to consider numerous allegations about impropriety surrounding the project” he said.
“It would be very surprising if a rigorous cost benefit analysis were to determine that it’s a good idea to build 3,600 apartments on tidal mudflats when the science tells us sea levels will rise.”
“A suitable model for undertaking this inquiry would be the Fraser Island Environment Inquiry in 1975 which achieved bipartisan political support.”
Toondah inquiry issues
The petition lists four key issues to be examined by an independent inquiry:
- The reasons why the Toondah Harbour PDA was established, in 2013, largely over wetlands which are part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and the internationally recognised Moreton Bay Ramsar site.
- The adequacy of initial planning work, studies and community engagement managed by Redland City Council in 2013 and 2014.
- The probity and soundness of decisions made by the State Government and Redland City Council in relation to award of agreements for development within the Toondah Harbour PDA, and subsequent decision making pursuant to these agreements.
- A comprehensive assessment of the costs and benefits to the community of the development which is being proposed within the Toondah Harbour PDA.
As at 26 June the petition had been signed by 5,120 Queensland residents.
Community opposition is growing
The proposal for development of 3,600 apartments on wetlands next to Toondah Harbour is strongly opposed by the local community.
85% said they were opposed to plans for construction of 3,600 apartments on wetlands next to Toondah Harbour in face to face surveys undertaken in December 2019 and January 2020 by Redlands2030 in conjunction with volunteers from Birdlife Australia and the Australian Conservation Foundation (Bayside Branch).
Results from these surveys were published by Redlands2030 in:
Survey shows strong community opposition to Toondah Harbour residential development
Using petitions to bring about change
The Parliament’s website notes that: “Petitioning is one of the traditional forms by which citizens can make requests direct to Parliament.”
While petitions may not always get immediate outcomes, many petitions have increased awareness of issues resulting in eventual changes to legislation.
In 2015 Redland City Councillor Craig Ogilvie initiated a petition banning political donations by property developers, signed by 924 people.
The State Labor Government announced two years later that it would legislate to ban property developers from donating to state and local politicians, following the Crime and Corruption Commission’s Operation Belcarra investigation into local government after the 2016 council elections.
Petitioners to State Parliament can expect a written response from the Government. The responsible minister is required to table a response within 30 days and this is published on the Parliament’s website.
If you want to initiate an E-Petition more information about how to do this is available on the Queensland Parliament website.
Redlands2030 – 26 June 2020
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
12 Comments
[…] the absence of transparency and accountability Redlands2030 petitioned the State Parliament for a Commission of Inquiry into the making of the PDA. It is the biggest e-petition in the history of Redland […]
Mother Earth & Human Beings need to retain as many natural, bio-diverse environmental areas as possible. Think of the big picture and precious planet please.
Do not destroy the biodiversity in this area as it all has an impact of our own health and well being. Keep it natural for the purification of our air, our soil, to clean our water and recycle the nutrients.
How much you take away from ocean environments including shoreline has major effects not just for your local animals and fauna, not just the contentment and positivity of your community that the environment instilled and replenishes but it affects everything up and down the coastline and as such those flora and fauna and sea life and employed Prime Industries and Tourism and their communities. To not know and understand how such massive developments affect all is extremely uneducated and quite frankly short lived money hungry grabbers I’m only a handful and certainly not long term money and supports for long term everyone. Shame on you and just a lazy cash grab with no true thought and analysis for a sustainable future.
Please do not develop
I’m utterly opposed to backward step in the Redlands and completely in contrast to our point of difference. Our natural environment is what we should be promoting. Jobs in the area should encourage better thinking, innovation and environment rather than old-school ideas proposed by the white shoe gold chain brigade idea of destroying environment at will to build unnecessary completely redundant structures. Hasn’t anyone heard there’s a glut of apartments in south east Qld?
Please respect our international obligations.
Why do people think that it’s OK to keep on destroying the whole world with tar and cement. There are too many people.
Have Council and Town Planners learned nothing about healthy sociology – living and working space, playing outside, R&R space for all ages, nature, ENVIRONMENT? In short SANITY is the result of GOOD town planning, time to say no to the pressure of developers and YES to the needs of a healthy world.
There is an abundance of new empty buildings in eastern Qld at the same time as natural habitat is depleting. We owe to our children and grandchildren the inheritance of biodiversity and something unique for tourism of the future. A niche market that shows a protected and unique natural world. This is abundant in Australia and by embracing tourism on an eco basis, eventually we will compete competitively with other areas that had less vision. Please place insight and consideration ahead of short term dollar acquisition.
Too much of Redlands beauty has been abandoned..It MUST stop
It is obvious that money is the motivation for the government to want this very special Ramsar Listed Wetlands area to be destroyed. No thought has been given to the loss of wildlife breeding grounds, and the destruction bird life and the Koala population trees being destroyed. Also Cleveland is a one way in area that is already suffering from bad infrastructure to and from the city ( or any other area !) we certainly don’t need more traffic conjunction.